caged lioness and the loyal lion
by ladyserphanie
Summary: jamie and brienne au canon divergence riverrun; she won't be caged he won't, can't have her harmed. all rights reserved to the george rr martin who i swear came up with these characters purely to break my heart and to d and d and tv show who put them ever closer and yet further apart. please review let me know if i should continue


Jamie watched her leave and tried his best not to let his frustration give way to violence, a caged lion he may be but he needed to learn how to prowl and not to ponce. So instead of simply putting his golden hand through the table and cursing the fact that he ever met that stupid stubborn wench. He sat heavily at his desk and resists the urge to put his head in his hands as he pondered his option. He already faced a near impossible task her presence only made things worse. Stupid wench she'd return to him having fulfilled her oath and his, and now what she is determined to do more. Of course why wouldn't she be ? How much more honourable does she want to be? And why must she insist on reminding him of his own honour? He had to admit he had more than glad to see her, every day since he send her on the godforsaken quest he hadn't been able to ignore the niggling voices in his head that he send her to her death or at least to slow and painful realisation that some oaths just couldn't be kept and that had been driving him insane. His only comfort had been that the only place her death had been more assured was in kings landing. That woman was incapable of hiding her emotions or her vows, and king's landing, and his sister he ruefully admitted would have torn her apart. he just couldn't allow that, perhaps it was that Brienne represented everything he'd wanted to be back when he was Ser Jamie to the world and not just to the honourable maid of tarth. He wanted her to proof that an honour existed that his honour existed.

Now she'd done that and she'd come back and for a moment he was overcome with joy and pride. So of course, because he is the Kingslayer and Ser Jamie both, he had poked at her reminded her of the contradictions of their situation and he had enjoyed doing it knowing that she would still stay steadfast. She'd surprised him then rather than just her usual stoic silence she had offered him a way to end this without more bloodshed and broken oaths. But as usual, the wench had failed to consider anything that wasn't her oaths if she had she would have realised how flawed her plan was, no matter how much he wanted it to work, he didn't have to be Tyrion to know that the Blackfish would never take her offer. Despite the fact that it was probably the best offer a lord, who was a traitor to the crown, and currently besieged had ever received or would ever receive. He'd be surprised if the old trout would even let her past the damn gates, let alone listen to her or consider what she was saying. It wouldn't matter to him that she saved his niece that she was honourable and damn soft-hearted, all he'd hear is her telling him to give up his ancestral seat.

Jamie sighed and reached over to fill his goblet with wine, and now he had to find a way to end this siege without you know sieging the castle. 'damn woman' he muttered into his goblet, he had never intended to siege the castle if it could be helped but now even if his plans for endure worked and he ended this without a battle, the damn wench could still decide to stay and fight for the Blackfish, because the gods know that no matter what the soldiers did the Blackfish was not going to leave the castle without a fight. The wench might be good but she couldn't overpower 5,000 Lannister men if the Blackfish wouldn't leave and he fought well she already said she was honour bound to fight. She would fight; she would fight his armies, she would fight him.

She had said she would fight him even as she was trying to return one of the deadliest swords in Westeros like it was something returnable like he intended it to be a trinket merely to represent their shared oaths. it was hers, she deserved it and if he was honest she deserved much more than that. "more than the recognition and admiration I can give" he muttered and now unless he found some way to prevent her the lady would get herself killed and she would do it damned happily to, for her honour, for some old dusty damn castle and a man she barely knew.

Jamie slammed down his goblet, and listen to his guards clamour for their swords, he sighed, no he would not take her honour, he wouldn't betray his house either. He should let the stubborn cow die defending the Blackfish if she so wishes, what was he to do? how could he stop it.? He lets out a growl worthy of his house sigil and only manages to resist throwing his goblet across the room because his guards might shit themselves.

No he wouldn't allow it he would not take her honour but he would not watch die for it, not by his hand, not like this, not for that old stubborn trout, not for something so unworthy of her. He simply could not allow it he may be maimed but he was still a lion and Lannister paid the debt she had fulfilled their oaths and now he would ensure that the bone-headed woman didn't die at least not because of him.

How to do that though? If he was his little brother he would already have a plan probably have half a dozen just to be safe. But he wasn't Tyrion so he would have to rely on being the Kingslayer and the Lord of casterly rock.

He sighed and considered more wine.

"Lannister I heard your lady had left so what's she want? what's the plan?" bronn said with a smirk as he grabbed the wine skin from the table.

Jamie resisted the urge to slap Bronn with his golden hand, he was the only man in this whole damn camp he could trust, and he was damn sell-sword. By the gods, if he wasn't doomed.

"Lady Brienne has left, she came to try and parley with the blackfish, and then apparently get herself killed"

Bronn grunts and drags a chair to table as he drinks "yeah she looks the type " Jamie raises his eyebrows at Bronn and tries his damnedest not to glare "What you can tell just looking her, she's too honourable for her own good that one, and types like that they are always the first to jump into the fight, the first to die. That's just how it is"

"So," he says leaning forward, sloshing the wine onto the table *What are you gonna do about it?"

Bronn looked at him expectantly, raising his eyebrow at him, as he slouches back in his chair "you're not gonna let her, are you? I mean not that you'd have much chance of stopping her not by the look of her" Jamie growls and glares then, he may like the sell-sword but there are boundaries; he will not stand to have the lady insulted, by anyone other than him, of course. "Careful bronn don't overstep"

He chuckles "I meant no offence, to the lady, put away your claws, I just meant that you would have no chance of stopping not in a fair fight anyway, " Bronn smirks then, "but something tells me you're not planning on fighting fair " "so the plan?" he says putting his wine down

Jamie looks at bronn and shakes his head as he retrieves his sword.

"We're going to see ednmure fully and then I am probably going to do a series of stupid things"

He waits for bronn to stand and he heads out of the tent dismissing the easily spooked guards. All he knows is his life is going to be a hundred times easier when the wench runs back to the Stark girl. A voice in his head also tells him he'll better man while she's here and worse when she's away he brushes this thought aside and shouts for his squire.

It was going to be a long night

Brienne


End file.
